Caught In Your Eyes
by KellaOrion
Summary: Hermoine is trying to relax a month after the final battle. What happens when she finds the most wanted man alive in a deserted classroom? HS rating for later chapters. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer for this ENTIRE story: I do not own Harry Potter. I'd be a lucky and rich woman if I did. The characters are property of J. K. Rowling. :D

Chapter One: The Kidnapping.

Hermoine sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. It had been a rough few days after the funeral, and being a Prefect it had been her duty to safely see each of the children off, whether getting them onto the train, or waiting for nervous parents to apparate. She couldn't wait for this week to be over; she quickly searched the halls on her way to her rooms. She needed her space, her sanctuary for a few hours. The way Ron and Harry were acting, it was like they had aged twenty years in a little over a month. _It is true, in a sense, I guess. It's not easy realizing that the most powerful wizard in the world was defeated by Voldemort. _

She shook her head slightly, and noticed the usually closed door diagonal from her apartments was slightly ajar. A puzzled mue appeared on her face and wand at ready, banged open the door.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" She shouted quite heartily as a hunched figure moved to the right. The force of the spell shot the wand in a dazzlingly straight shot to her hand, where it all but leapt to safety. She consecutively cast body binding and apathy charms to ensare and induce the wizard in front of her to be lucid enough for proper inspection.

A slight flick of the wrist brought his head back, and a softly uttered 'lumos' brought her world to a screeching halt. There, staring quite spacelessly back at her, was Severus Snape, the most hated and hunted wizard in the entire world.

A few moments of breathing reassured her that indeed she was looking at the Potions Master, but from the deadened look in his eye she wasn't entirely sure he was still with the living. She called his name several times, whispering then increasing in volume to shouting. She, being an intelligent and resourceful witch, took advantage of the prone moment to use a slapping technique in attempt to rouse him from his bloodied coma. Seeing no other option, she focused her steely gaze upon the Professors, and used Legimens, one of the most effective employs of magic known to Wizard.

A good hour later, after carefully reviewing each and every memory, she sighed, drained both from the new knowledge she received and the task of combing someone's mind. "Merlin," she said softly looking into his hauntingly dead eyes, "Why couldn't you just make things easy and kill the Dumbledore because you're a snarky bastard, not a Gryffindor wannabe." She needed a plan, and _fast._

Slinking through the corridors a mere five minutes later, she struggled with overwhelming fear and determination. She was afraid, deathly afraid for what she was going to do, but she really had no choice. Making sure the air was clear for the fifth time she scooted out of the abandoned room with a telltale body floating behind her.

A sudden shifting of staircases alerted her to the fact that Filtch was standing directly below her, presumably waiting for stairs to continue his rounds. Hermoine's heart leapt to her throat and managed to stay there as she wished and wished for the staircase to allow her to escape to the third floor, where her salvation lay. She was seriously starting to doubt the fact that she thought she could pray to Hogwarts when the staircase stopped right in the middle if anchoring to the bottom floor when it came hurtling back, only to slam into position. She dashed up them, panting heavily and feeling like she had just run a mile.

That walk to the Room of Requirement was the longest of her life. She felt as if time had all but stopped, and every movement sounded like an elephant stampede. She turned behind her, seeing that Filtch was angrily waiting to follow her, as he probably saw what happened to the stairs. She paced back and forth quickly, thinking hurriedly what they needed for an extended amount of time.

The ornate door popped into existence, and she turned to look down the hall. Filtch was just stepping, angrily yelling to her to stop her insolence and halt where she was. She all but threw the body into the room and slammed the door shut just as Filtch's shadow came into view. Sinking to the floor, Hermoine cried with relief. Saying out a thousand thank you's to every deity available and thanking Hogwarts profusely, she got up.

The central room was so big it was cavernous. It was in a dark gold color, with a couch and a chaise lounge directly to the left, next to a merrily crackling fireplace. A soft rug nestled in-between them, giving quite an inviting feel. A small end table was near the sofa, and a wizarding radio looked happily perched. There was a sturdy oak table with four chairs to the right, and looked quite serviceable. Beyond that was a kitchenette taking up the back wall, complete with a magical icebox and stove. Directly in center, there was a wide three stair staircase to lead up to the next level. There, she stood at the top of the stairs and found a finely woven runner rug, with five different doorways.

Looking back, she flicked her wand and led the still bound professor onto the couch. Turning her back, she wandered into the left-most room. She found, to her delight a large canopy bed dead-center against the back wall complete with huge fluffy down pillows and a stuffed to the max down comforter. Seeing as how the room was absurdly huge, she glanced to the left and noticed a familiar looking antique desk with all her school books upon it. Beside that was a pleasant surprise however. There, lined the rest of her wall was a book case that reminded her of the shelves of tomes in the library. Stopping to browse the books, she noticed there was everything from cooking to arithmancy. Grinning to herself about the possibilities and many happy nights in her new bed, she padded across the room to the far right corner when she really did get the shock of her life. Curled into his bed, Crookshanks gave her a look as if to say, "Well duh. This is Hogwarts." She smiled and shook her head, again thanking Hogwarts out loud. There was an open closet with all of her belongings to the right of Crookshanks litter box. As she headed back to the door she came in on, there was a large oak door, which she figured was extra storage space because she couldn't see any of her mounds of Potions supplies anywhere. Right after the door, there was an inviting peach doorway where she poked her head in. The bathroom was as large as the prefects, including a large bathtub with many faucets, a spacious vanity and a shower stall that looked pretty cool. Satisfied and very excited, she all but skipped out of her new room and went into the next door. Here she round a spacious room with sand tones, Spartan furniture made of dark ebony and a bookshelf to rival hers in her room. The desk was massive, and she noticed quite a few essays sprawled onto them. His bathroom was like hers, but just in a deeper blue. He had no adjoining door, but she wrote that off to the fact that Snape most likely didn't own as much as her.

Genuinely enjoying finding what each room held, she was floored when she popped into the middle room. Pristinely clean, this earthy green room with a white marble tabletop was definitely a modified nurse's station; every imaginable potion was there, including Dreamless Sleep, and the Pepper-Up potion. She grinned at the two books, Healing For Beginners by Helga Hufflepuff, and Mediwitch's Guide to Magical Maladies By Krista Heldwiggins. Hermoine familiarized herself with the room, as she was sure she would need it to put Professor Snape back together again. Carrying the Beginner's book out of the room, she again was amazed at how well Hogwarts knew the two individuals.

There, two spacious black marble (the most resilient) table tops were anchored next to their respective cauldron burners. On the left wall, there was a long side counter with a strange looking window snuggled between two large cupboards with clipboards. She investigated the nearest one to discover a dazzling list of ingredients, their current supply, and how much it would cost to replace them. Skimming the list, she saw they were color coded too, in order of reactivity and their class. She noticed some outlined in black, and considering one was Unicorn Blood, she figured there were some hard-to-come-by ingredients there as well. She decided to give it a try, and with the simple incantation _Ortus. _She was happily munching on a mint leaf. She examined the farther clipboard to see it had every imaginable apparatus they could possibly ever need. The window-like contraption in the middle was just a heavy shutter opening to reveal the medical room. Hermoine was delighted with this development, as it was quite smart to be able to move potions with as little jostling as possible. She took note of the far right wall, which just had several hanging hooks for cauldrons and was lined with more burners. Deciding that this could possibly be her favorite room, she nearly skipped out in happiness. But she was never more excited when she entered the final room.

It appeared humble at first, just an ordinary gym atmosphere, boasting various aerobic weight machines, free weights, and an exercise matt. The two doors intrigued her, and that's where it became anything from the ordinary. The small pool looked pristinely calm, sporting a small whirlpool on the side that gurgled with vigor. Around that was a decent sized track, which looked like it was freshly painted and waiting for someone to use it. Hermoine stopped and stared for a minute, not knowing what to think or say. With another loud thank you to Hogwarts, she back tracked to the door with the biggest surprise of all. It confused her at first, why the walls would be padded so. She couldn't see anything except an outline directly opposite her, and there didn't appear to be any openings for the blasted thing. _Alomahora! _The door in question jumped smartly open to reveal the most wicked looking weapons known to man. Daggers, knives, swords, bows, arrows, pikes, she couldn't even name them all. She grinned as she looked at her reflection in a wicked looking curved blade. She would enjoy these, she knew she would. Closing the last door and exiting out of room entirely she found herself back in the main room looking at the fireplace. She then noticed a picture hanging on the wall above the fireplace, walking to see the inscription, she took note that the occupant was missing. She did however; remain faintly surprised at the small plaque identifying the portrait inhabitant as a one Albus Dumbledore.

Despite this new revelation, her stomach grumbled loudly and looked to the kitchenette as a source of her relief. Easily procuring a kettle, she put water on the stove to heat tea and looked at yet another book positioned directly beside the ice box. Opening it, she noticed the many different recipes. She figured she could browse through them all later, but she looked down the very end of the list as it listed Fresh Fruit and Fresh Greens. Very curious now, she turned to the page of Fresh Fruit and saw a copious amount of fruits. Confused as to why they were just listed there, she tapped the word "Granny Smith Apple" with her index finger and was a little disappointed when nothing happened. She tried twice more, but shrugged and gave up when nothing appeared. She pried open the icebox to rummage through it, only to find three granny smith apples in mint condition looking up at her. She laughed delightedly and grabbed one to munch on. Tea ready, she settled down at the surprisingly comfortable oak chair and began to read about diagnostic scans.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 –

Hermoine arched her back and felt it pop loudly. She had just finished reading up on the diagnostic scans, as well dabbling ahead into general mediwitch first aid. She glanced wearily at the ornate timepiece; surprised that it was nine o'clock pm already.

Satisfied with her notes and practice, she gathered them over to the end table near Snape's head. She placed her neat outline, and walked to fetch the medical supplies she could need. She handily found a plastic bin and using that she transported various gauzes, ("Mary Mediwitch's Molding Gauze – guaranteed to bring patient from miserable to mummy in ten seconds! In new RapidHeal weave! ") splints, painkillers, antiseptics, and sleeping aids. Using a quick _Envincio_, She got him properly secured for treatment.

She decided to start up the scan, which took several complicated charms, but she grinned in triumph when she saw the paper and quill quickly jotting all the information. She read the clearly scripted handwriting, noting he was malnourished, dehydrated, he had a broken arm, torn ligaments in his right knee, severe lesions on his back and about 40 or so bruises of varying intensity throughout his body. The psychological analysis went on for a while, and Hermoine really didn't care to look, because she was surprised he didn't have twice as many issues as he already did.

Deciding her best plan of attack was to bathe him first; she banished his tattered Death Eater robes, and replaced them with a pair of flannel boxers. Hermoine was a little overwhelmed at first. He stunk, to put it politely and his arm was horribly mangled. The bruises were so dark they were almost black, and she worried about internal bleeding. Rallying herself, she got the small bowl filled with warm healing antiseptic, and proceeded to wash him.

He wasn't that unhandsome, she noticed, as she gently caressed his ribcage with the terry cloth. A strong brow, prominent features, nice lean hands, a toned body, he wasn't all that bad to look at. He did however; need to put on some weight. Hermoine grinned to herself because she almost started clucking like Molly would have. Having cleaned the wounds gently, and sponge-bathed everywhere exposed, she set the water aside to start with the most time consuming first. She opened several jars of healing paste, varying from heavy to light healing properties. With gentle sure movements, she rubbed the creamy substance into the bruised skin three times counterclockwise. After about a half an hour, she had covered pretty much the entirety of his body with the stuff. Although it gave off a strong menthol odor, it wasn't unpleasant, and she could already see the bruises starting to lessen from where she first applied the paste. Nodding in approval, she hauled herself up and got the book, her notes, splints, and gauze. She knew she wasn't going to be able to flip him over and attend to his back if she didn't take care of his two more serious injuries. When they were immobile and suspended, it was fine and dandy to take care of the less trivial things. Rolling up her sleeves, she decided to take a look at his arm first. His right arm, clearly broke was a compound fracture. She stunned him, knowing that the pain would obviously wake him from the sleep-like trance he was in. She gently poured antiseptic in the wound, watching the painless fizz bubble over like hydrogen peroxide and she carefully wiped away the overflow. She did this several times, and the wound became remarkably cleaner as each shift ended. Now this herein lays the problem. She had to essentially rebreak the bone, because Snape wasn't able to heal the bone himself. Steeling herself, she muttered a lengthy spell to break it. Instead of the sickening crunch she had expected, the bone came away cleanly. _Osteo Sano _was said quickly afterwards to stop major hemorrhaging. She watched in awe as the bones started to form and mend to heal themselves. She couldn't heal the skin with magic because the area was taxed to its limits. Gently placing some rapid-heal salve in the wound, she wound it tightly with the gauze, admiring how it formed a cast so quickly.

She then turned to his knee. There was nothing that could be done easily for his leg, seeing as how she was still too inexperienced as yet to help him properly. She did however, place the strongest pain relieving salve on the knee and wound it with flexible but strong gauze. Ministrations complete, she transfigured the lounge into a comfortable looking massage table. It was waist height, but had the tempurpedic foam Hermoine was so fond of back at home. She levitated him gently, and rebound him with his body face down. The hole in the headrest allowing him to breathe regularly, she again washed him.

The scars surprised her. Not because they looked rather painful, but just the fact that there were so many. It looked as if he had been flayed alive several times. His back, as of right now, looked about the consistency of raw hamburg. This worried Hermoine a little, but she carefully washed then sterilized his back. Knowing this would take a time to heal, magic or not. She applied the salve to the entirety of his back, not even bothering to try and be sparing. She wound the gauze around his body after positioning him in a sitting position. She revived him, relieved when he didn't wake, and she laid him down again. Tired, sweaty and hungry, she had one last thing to do: Snape's hair.

She loved longer hair on a man, but after using the antiseptic bowl as a sink she was questioning if she still held to that statement. His hair was a mess, dried blood, twigs, dirt, and it was gnarled more than even her own hair was at times. Giving up and going to her personal stores she took out her secret weapon formula. This detangler was a mixture of three of the leading brands she mixed up for herself. She only put a small handful in her hair because it was potent, but she took another look at Snape's hair and poured a small mountain. Working it in, she finally got it to the point where she could wash it. She jumped up a rummaged around his bathroom, finding a nice smelling sandalwood shampoo that looked plain enough. She worked it in, enjoying the smell, and started humming a Sinatra song she'd heard a day or two ago. Feeling like that was years ago, she reminisced about her recent life, and was drifted in thought. She rinsed his hair, and then lathered his hair for a second time, making sure that she gently scratched his scalp clean. She looked down, and saw him staring back up at her. His face was guarded, but he looked almost serene. She hovered with her face over his, then realized what she was doing and hastily pushed away.

In doing this, however, she backed into the end table, knocking everything but the radio off. Cleaning the salves quickly into their newly mended containers, her face aflame, she put everything away. She hurriedly smoothed her hair and went back down the steps to the living room to face him. "Miss Granger, did you do something incredibly idiotic and Gryffindorish again?"

Riled already, she angrily shot back. "You know, _Professor, _I just risked my life to save your sorry ass. Regardless of the fact I just spent about three hours piecing you back together, I risked life and limb to bring you here, and when they find out I whisked you away, I will be looking at an Azkaban sentence too. So if you'd kindly shut your snarky mouth, I'd appreciate it." Her voice wavered a little towards the end, and her eyes misted over just a bit when she realized that she would quite probably die.

Stomping over to him angrily, she released the bonds holding him there. "I'm pretty sure Hogwarts won't let you hurt me. In any case we've got a bloody fucking dueling ring anyway." A tiny show of surprise worked across his face, seeing as how he was not used to be talked to in such a manner. Assuming she got her recent confidence from the short-lived final battle, he refrained from comment for the moment. He studied the surroundings and easily came to the conclusion that they were in the Room of Requirement. "Miss Granger, how long do you plan on spending here?" She looked up at him, confused enough to cease her stomping momentarily. "Until you get better, and the air clears enough for us to make a safe return."

"Does it matter if we wait a few days or right now? I will be put to death by default. Regardless of my intentions."

"Who are you kidding? You made a wizarding oath to Dumbledore. You had to kill him whether you liked it or not."

"So I see you're not completely idiotic then, are you?"

"I'm not stupid enough to go blindly into a situation, no, Professor. You must give me more credit than that. I am the brains of the operation, don't you remember?"

"Regardless, Miss Granger, there is no reason for us to sit here and wait things out since we are both inevitably going to get into trouble."

"No, Professor. I think it would be better for us to stay here for a while."

He looked at her and walked towards the ornate door. As soon as he got into five feet of it, the door vanished. He turned accusingly at Hermoine, rage in his eyes.

"Child you will stop this right now. I will turn myself in and that will be the end of it. There is no reason to sully your name into the ground too. I demand you let me open this door."

Judging from her facial expressions, she did not realize the door would leave too. Meeting her eyes, he tried to force his way into her mind only to have his conscious crashing into a steel wall. She blinked and looked away for a moment, then looked back to him angrily.

"No amount of tricks are going to help you win this war, because I have no idea why Hogwarts wants us to wait it out. You're going to have to take it up with her, not me."

Snape snarled angrily at her and paced back and forth like a panther. "You miserable little chit, why did you do this to me? I would have rather died than to have spent time with you. You stupid stupid girl. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into. You and your stupid fucking friends can – "

He was stopped midsentence and he hit the floor. Hermoine's eyes sparkled angrily and the room crackled with magic. She levitated him into a chair, walked to him calmly, and slapped him across the face. She continued her conversation, turning away from him. "You know, you'd think you'd learn that you're not going to get away with being a snarky bastard. You'll learn your place soon enough. I've hidden your wand so not even you can get at it. And the salves I'm using to help you get better, alas, as you know drain your magic count in order to heal. So no magic, Severus Snape. You're a squib."

She idly flicked through the cookbook, and decided on easy omelets given the late hour. She made tea for herself, and made coffee for him. The hex she gave him had yet to allow him to speak, but it didn't seem like he was in the mood for talking. Dinner passed in welcome silence for Hermoine and she quickly washed the dishes. She turned to him, and he looked at her expectantly. "I should give you the couch, but I will lead you to your rooms." She got to the top of the stairs. "The door on the left is mine. Second to left is yours, middle is mediwitch room, fourth is potions lab, and the last is a work out room. I bid you adieu."

With that she turned her heel, leaving one pissed off, confused, and tired Snape in her wake.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three –

Hermoine snuggled deeper into the comfortable bedding, instinctively reaching out and petting the curled mass of fluff settled near her middle. Half asleep, she reached for her wand, and turned the buzzing alarm off. Groaning and burrowing deeper, she refused to get out of bed.

A knock was heard at the door, hesitant, almost too soft to hear under the mounds of comforter she inhabited. It persisted until she burst out grumpily, "Go the bloody fuck 'way Ron! I don't want to hear about your sex life! Go tell Harry! It's too bloody fucking early to hear your tales of conquest! You know I need my tea!"

The knocking stopped abruptly, and something very like snorting sounded from the door. Hermoine thought that odd enough to blearily pop her head out of the covers to look at the door. Reality slammed back into her, and it took her mind a few seconds to catch up with the now. She gasped in horror, only to realize that too was heard and a rather smug voice from the other side of the door. "Miss Granger, as much as I would _love _to investigate your personal relationship with those two idiots, I must say I require you to cook, as you have rendered me incapable of doing such. I have waited quite awhile for you to show your face, but apparently you are still as lazy as you were during school.

She was out of her bed and yanking the door off its hinges in an instant. "Why you slimy, despicable, no good-" She then saw the satisfied smirk on his face, and knew she had been goaded into rising. Huffing indignantly she spun on her heel and muttered under her breath about stupid professors and how they would get what's coming to them.

Yanking on some comfortable jeans and a t-shirt, she angrily marched by him to the kitchen area, and all but started butchering the meal into existence.

Snape however, looked damningly calm throughout the whole display and was completely unfazed by her anger. After another meal in silence, she was about to stomp her way to do the dishes when Snape asked her a random question. "Miss Granger, do you know how long we'll be here?"

She rolled her eyes as she was facing the sink. "Of course I don't. I don't know any more than you do. I can't very well get to the door either, and I'm not particularly trying to escape at this point."

He looked at her oddly for a moment, and she just continued. "You have to take a good look, Professor. I am going to be charged with harboring a fugitive, and will most likely get sent to Azkaban. Regardless of whether or not things turn out okay because you're innocent, killing Dumbledore isn't going to look good. People may not be willing to accept it, even with truth serum. They want retribution. People can't understand grey areas. Especially in this war, people want black and white. They need to believe that their Headmaster's killer will pay."

She sighed and finished up by drying her hands on the dish towel. Turning to face him finally, she met his eyes. There was a calculating sort of premise in those eyes, dashingly intelligent, but with a more feral, wild aura about them. He seemed to be able to dissect a person's soul with a mere calculating glance. The longer hair brushing past his shoulders, he looked like some kind of dark God that could possess a woman to the most complete extent possible.

Hermoine felt her breath hitch and shook her head forcefully; breaking the spell he had put her under. "Professor, I have a pretty strong inclination that we are going to need a lot more of the healing salve, and even though I know I can make a basic form, you require more potent salves, and the store will soon run out. I would appreciate it if you would be able to assist me in preparing these potions."

She could hear him shift from one foot to the other, almost uneasily, but she knew that the expected response would come, with a disgusted noise and sharp retort later; they were in the Potions Lab, gathering the correct ingredients.

"Miss Granger, for the last time, you must cut them _horizontally. _That means not chopping, but a slice down the middle. How dense can you possibly be?"

A strangled scream emitted from Hermoine as tense shoulders tensed even more considerably. "Look, _Professor_, I will try to put it as succinctly as possible, but if you have failed to notice, I am doing this for your benefit. Not mine. And seeing as how I am the only one that can properly stir the cauldron at this point, you would do well to not have me stab you right now. I do have limits with my patience."

Snape sneered as he looked over her shoulder with disdain at her precise cuts, deeming them unworthy of a perfect potion for the seemingly millionth time in the last three hours. The extra-strength pain potion, however easy to make, took precise timing and addition of ingredients, which was why it was so hazardous and hard to make. One mistake could cost you your life.

Hermoine, tired, frustrated, and dirty from all the dragon dung she had to utilize, she tilted her head back and sighed up at the ceiling. _What the hell was I thinking saving him? I'm going to kill him before the day is out. I didn't even need to go through all of this trouble. I could have simply avada'd his smarmy arse back to the hellstink he came from._

Although it had taken time, the potion, with its rose-colored base, seemed to be making some potential progress. Thankful for at least that, Hermoine lowered her head and kept working.

Adding unicorn hair and stirring thrice clockwise, and tossing in the rest of the ginseng, Hermoine nodded in satisfaction as the potion started to thicken and turn a deep gold. Her now unbelievably frizzy hair was pulled back into a bun, with a slight sheen on her face from working over the cauldron for so long. Putting her arms behind her, she arched her back and smiled triumphantly as her sore body popped back into place.

Snape on the other hand, was becoming tormented. He was still utterly perplexed at what caused the girl to try something this bold, going against everything and everyone she cared about. Gryffindor instinct aside, they tended to flock together, and from what he'd seen of the chit for nearly seven years did not seem to have any indication that she was a leader in any sense of the word. She seemed to be the naysayer, the common sense to the trio of dunderheads, but not the spitfire that dared talk back to him today, never mind hexing him and slapping him last night. He watched her with hooded eyes, and decided to keep a closer eye on the girl.

Knocking himself more firmly into his surroundings, he paused in his curt commands and brooding to study her figure. The light cotton t-shirt clung to her frame as fine mist coated her skin. Arching her back, Snape felt a feeling that disgusted, troubled, and scared him witless all at once. He viciously fought against that impulse and barked his farewell. Outside of the room, he could breathe more fully, and chalked his insane notion of desire to the fact that there was so much nymph pheromones in the potion. _I'd better be fucking bloody careful around that girl. She's only trouble. _

Hermoine wondered if she could create a charm that could inflict personal harm with a look, because she would have been certain that Snape would have died. Humphing in irritation, she finished off the salve carefully and set to work putting them into safely packaged containers that they transfigured out of paper.

Boring work, overseeing the distribution into the jars, but as the last one was carefully sealed, labeled, and accounted for in the mediroom, Hermoine concluded that there would be plenty left over Snape's extensive injuries. _God knows I wouldn't want to be cooped up with him here again. That would be bloody awful._

A quick shower later, Hermoine was again chopping away ingredients, but this time, it was their dinner. Hermoine enjoyed cooking almost as much as potion-making, and had decided long ago that if she wasn't a witch, she would have become a chef. Although not as scientific and precise as potion-making, she loved the freedom of experimentation in cooking. The one good thing about cooking was that it was a lot less dangerous to play with recipes than with potions.

With the small radio blaring, she rocked out to several muggle bands. _The amusing thing with music _she groused _was that if you were good, you were good. No amount of magic can change raw talent. _As she had the beef stew merrily simmering like a potion of its very own, she was surprised that there was a small selection of wine in the "Food Book" as she dubbed it. Choosing a hearty red that had a strong primitive feel, she smiled and relaxed into a mediwitching book, reclining on the sofa and swinging her feet to the beat of the music.

As the stew neared completion, Snape decided to make an entrance, _crawled out of your hole you greasy bat? _Hermoine thought bitterly. As dinner almost became another silent affair, Snape decided to be congenial, or at least as congenial as he could be.

"Will you see to my injuries after dinner? I want to research more potions, and don't want to waste my time waiting for you to clean wounds at all hours of the day."

Hermoine blinked as she was mid-sip in her wine. Resting the goblet on the table, she looked at him levelly. "You could ask politely, or is that Pureblood gallantry I've heard about just a pile of bull? I'll fix your wounds after dinner tonight, but if I so much get another request like that again, you can have a beast of a time doing it your self."

Angry liquid black eyes sparked at her from across the table. "Do not tempt me, Miss Granger, as I am not a nice man inclined to do not very nice things. If you continue with your foolishness, I cannot say I will not be inclined to do something nasty."

She propped her head in her hand and arched an eyebrow at him. "Do you honestly think I care for your empty threats? You cannot do much to harm me, Snape. And you and I both know it. Even with your wandless magic stores regaining, the salve dampens your ability to tap into your magical core. Don't give me that shit. I am not going to be bullied into submission and fear of you. You will be courteous and you will have manners. Be civil even, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. I don't think there's a civil bone in your body."

A deathly calm settled in onto the table, and Hermoine inwardly grinned as she could see his finely tuned mask start to crack in pure rage at his situation and the fact that she was completely right. With a small sigh, she decided not to bait him anymore and finished her meal. As he jerkily washed the dishes with angry and curt movements, Hermoine wondered how he survived as a spy for so long. He is easily read when angered, and she couldn't fathom how he managed to keep his cool for all those years.

She took his arm into her lap and carefully rubbed the salve over the newly formed and stretched pink skin. It still looked rather taut, almost like a skin graph that muggles got. She checked for infection, asked him about pain, and then deftly rewrapped the bandage in a precision-type style.

Asking him to take off his shirt was an interesting exercise. She could have sworn the faintest of blushes after a heated argument of whether or not his back should be continued to be treated. _Is he really that self-conscious about his back? I would have never guessed. It must be all the bad memories attached to the scars. My my, Severus Snape. You really are a man of surprises. Maybe there's a heart in there after all? _

Hermoine snorted and shook her head, as Snape eyed her viciously. "Do you think those scars are funny, Miss Granger? Because a majority of those scars were earned as you and your little gang of miscreants pranced about unknowingly in Hogwarts all those years, thinking up one foolish scheme after another. I was the one that suffered, Granger, when you three decided to live." Guilt stabbed fast and furiously at Hermoine.

"I cannot change the past, but don't you ever accuse me of not appreciating what you did and still do for us. I know that you've saved our sorry hides more than once. I don't need to be reminded or reprimanded. I'm not a child any longer, and you'd do well to remember that. I was amused because I thought it was curious that you cared enough about my opinion to be self-conscious about your scars, even though I've already seen them. If I hadn't ran away screaming when they looked like hamburger, then I surely won't run away now."

Snape gave her a sharp look and made to retort, but for some unknown reason, he decided to stay silent. Hermoine gently cleaned and monitored the worst of the lacerations, looking for the early signs of infection she knew would pop up in such a taxed body. Seeing none, she applied salve in circular motions, trying to stimulate skin growth and be soothing at the same time. Gradually, Snape's body became less straight and assumed a more natural slouch, but Hermoine wouldn't comment if she dared. At least they could talk without killing eachother, and that was a small step that she could be thankful for.

Drifting off to bed again, Crookshanks contentedly purring, Hermoine became hopeful for the upcoming weeks.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four –

Hermoine rolled over and groaned, as she once again was awoken by a ringing sound. It wasn't loud enough to be frightening, but more like an annoying alarm clock than anything.

She blearily rubbed her scalp and surveyed the area. She knew Hogwarts was safe, but her wand was in her hand just as a security measure. _Constant Viligance _echoed through her mind. She turned her head towards the sound in question and saw that her storage closet's door handle was giving off a green aura. More curious than frightened, she padded over and gingerly opened the door.

She heart raced as she heard screaming and froze for only a second to take in her surroundings. Snape's room. Walking quickly to his beside, she came to the quick realization that he was immersed in what appeared to be a quite horrific nightmare. Having experienced this with Harry, routine took over and she bound him in a "straight-jacket" form to calm him down, and prevent further injuries. After he stopped bucking as forcefully, she slid onto the bed bedside him and crooned comforting words.

She felt bizarre, yes, but what mattered more is for him to calm down and not hurt himself any more than he already is. As she stroked his sweaty hair away from his face, he opened his eyes blearily. "Anastasia? Is that you?"

A cold feeling settled into her stomach as she didn't know how to respond. Before she could, Snape filled her in on who this woman was. "I knew you would come to protect me. You said you couldn't leave the forest, but I suspected that fairies could leave if they wished. You're bigger than I remember, though. I never forgot you, even after that bastard of a step-father told me I can't go into the forest anymore."

Relieved that it wasn't a dead lover or a wife he had left behind, she decided to play along with his game. "Yes, I have missed you. I have come from far away to make sure you are better, dearheart. Sleep now, and dream of happy things, Sn—Severus."

With a contended sigh, he seemed to do just that, looking at the faint pink seeping through the linen on his arm; she was worried about how these episodes at night would affect his healing process.

Shaking her head, she padded back into her room and collapsed. _I'm never going to be able to get up in the morning. _

Bright and early there was pounding on her door as she wriggled further into the covers. "Miss Granger, I will not allow you to keep me from eating every day like this. You _will _get up!"

Her hand shot out from under the blankets, and two bursts of magic came from the wand. A loud noise came from outside the door, as if something had fallen. Forcefully dragging herself out of bed, haggard as she was she made it to the mediroom for the desperately needed Pepper-Up Potion.

As she was now thinking coherently, she was in an almost pleasant mood as the tea she had put on the stove magically was ready and fragrant. Getting some toast she sat down and generously heaped her toast with as much marmalade as possible. Sighing, knowing that it was wrong _and _rude not to include Snape, she set a place with tea and toast for him too.

Getting up, she went to give him a hand, as being under the petrificus spell for about a half hour would lead to cramps. She unfroze him, and the fury radiated off of him in waves. _It's so damn amusing, _she thought smugly, _that I can give him back what he gives for once. He definitely does not like them apples._

He got up to his feet, and stalked silently over to her. Advancing quickly, his purposeful strides backed her up against a wall. Hermoine was slightly panicked, even though she knew in the back of her mind that she had a wand. _This man radiates evil, but I'm starting to think it's just an act. A necessary method for survival, but an act none the less._

His eyes were like black thunderclouds; his jaw a cut edge like it was steel. Power radiated from him, and his magic seemed to seep through the small space between their bodies like vines. He was dangerously close; she could feel his angry puffs of breath on her face.

"Miss _Granger, _as a rule even I do not hit women. Do. Not. Tempt. Me. You play with fire, and you WILL get burned."

She was drowning. She couldn't even explain it, but his magic that was pushing against hers as a threat seemed more like a caress. His eyes, a storm of anger, seemed to hold more erotic possibilities than she could ever imagine. Her breath caught in her throat and she could do nothing but stare back.

His anger gave way to a quick flutter of surprise dancing across the harsh face. Anger again, even more so then before, and a sharp turn to allow his robes to bellow out around him. A door slammed, and Hermoine blinked away the fuzz that seemed to overcome her.

Padding back to the kitchen, she realized that Snape would probably be hungry.

And although the pleasant idea of letting him starve crossed her mind, she decided to give him food and appease his sense of pride by setting a carefully arranged breakfast outside his door on a tray.

_He can sulk all he likes. He'll have to leave eventually, even if it is out of sheer boredom. Plus the dressings need to be changed sooner or later._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Foolish girl. What the hell is she thinking? What game is she playing at? _Severus Snape paced angrily about his room, as studying never came easily when he was stewing. _The nerve, the sheer audacity…but you admire that quality don't you?_

"If being a know-it-all brainiac is to be admired then sure, bring it on."

_Don't be stupid. She saved your life. Sorry as your arse is, and as bad as the situation you were in, she gave you another chance. She thought you were worthy enough to put her life on the line as well as yours._

"Stupid if you want to call it that. Hermoine Granger is a delightfully stupid girl that has no forward thought other than to the next moment."

_It's called bravery. If you were in that situation, would you have the courage to do what she did? Turn her back on everything she holds near and dear? She has fought to make a name of herself since the day she walked into those Hogwarts doors. She had to fight tooth and nail to be respected academically and socially among her peers because she didn't have magic in her veins before then. And yet, she's willing to toss that all away for your sorry arse. Nice. I hope you feel you're worth it._

"And there's a reason I ignore my conscience. I'm going to stop talking to myself now."

_You're the one who's sitting in your room. And don't call her a little girl. You felt the heat in that stare._

Flinging a book across the room heatedly, Severus stalked into the bathroom to take a shower.

Hermoine flung down the book in frustration, tugging her hair. "Why am I NOT getting this? It says to stir clockwise thrice and a quarter turns counterclockwise! I've done that three bloody times!"

Hitting her head against the potions lab bench in despair, she flicked a small sample into a test tube and banished the rest of the brown, foul-smelling goo. As her motions became repetitive, a smooth voice came from in front of her, "Miss Granger, I do believe when they say to pulverize ingredients, they mean you to do so with a mortar and pestle, not your forehead."

Her head and hackles were up in an instant. "Finally decided to crawl out of the temper tantrum you were having?" She gloated for a moment only to hear is rejoinder.

"Only to walk into one."

She was about to snark back, but instead she smirked and arched an eyebrow. "Touché. Is there a reason to you lurking about, or did you actually have a purpose for working in here?"

Snape eyed her narrowly. "I was going to do some research, but was quite enthralled by all the screeching in here that I came to investigate."

She looked at him levelly. "I hate to disappoint you, but the screeching is from abject despair than any real danger. This potion is driving me absolutely nutters." She motioned to the six sludge-filled test tubes.

"Every time I try to brew this potion, it fails right at a particular step. I've researched and cross-referenced every tome I could find about the potion, but it all matches up. Even the numerical vibrations of the different stones, ingredients and incantation is perfectly aligned. I can't understand it isn't working."

Severus looked at her intently for a moment, and then asked, "What kind of potion are you trying to brew?"

She looked up at him, bemused. "Its Order business, but I suppose I can leak this one out. It's called the Vertias Vitae."

He looked at her incredulously and then laughed. The Life Truth potion? Miss Granger I thought the Order would be better spending their time, not mucking about with potions that are impossible to make!

She eyes glittered. "I'll have you know _Professor, _that I have the ingredients list along with the technique to make it. And as for your premature mockery, I have gotten further than most, if you would care to listen instead of cackle."

For the next several minutes as Severus decided to indulge the chit, he realized she was on to something. The problem itself was not so much the ingredients, or even the process, but the stirring technique involved in the notorious "Death Step."

She magically analyzed the failed samples to prove that all six were at the cusp of reacting. Hermoine clearly showed lots of research into adapting the ingredients list, but to no avail. Severus once-overed her clear concise handwriting, finding no flaw he could find.

As they spent the afternoon in the potions lab, thinking up one possibility after another, Hermoine stopped when her stomach grumbled. Severus paused, mid-thought and looked at her. There were circles under her eyes, her hair was dull and droopy from the hours huddled over several of the cauldrons, and her eyes were tired but bright with discovery. She grinned sheepishly at him, and something stirred in his heart as she thanked him for his help.

Alarmed at what he had felt, he scathingly replied. "If you can't be bothered to take care of yourself Miss Granger, don't bother asking for my assistance. Clearly you cannot attain a higher level of comprehension in potions if you can't take care of simple needs as eating and getting enough sleep."

He stalked out to the kitchen, only to realize that he couldn't actually prepare the chit anything. So he took out the damn book and angrily jabbed at a few fruits with his good hand, and set them on the table. Getting tea ready, he awkwardly poured enough for two and simmered while he waited for her to clean the lab.

Brushing her hands on the seat of her pants as she finished, Hermoine yawned again. _He'd better not have nightmares again. I'll be sleeping until noon if he keeps this up. Maybe I can slip him some Dreamless Sleep?_

She stepped out, and headed to the kitchen only to be surprised by a plate of fruits and a smarmy Snape waiting for her. Deciding to be pleased but not comment, she muttered a quiet thank-you with a small smile graced on her lips.

_It's a small start, but hell, small is good. Really good. At least we're not at eachothers' throats right? Something to be thankful for._

She finished her meal in happy appreciation of the semi-comfortable silence that grew between the two. Puttering about and cleaning the dishes, she relaxed near the fireplace with a good book, while Snape left to go investigate the other rooms more clearly.

A strangled yell was heard about an hour later, and Hermoine raced through the rooms only to find the dueling ring to be sealed tightly. A hasty but forceful Alhomahora later, the door flung open, bouncing on its hinges.

Snape was face-down on the ground, and by the looks of his shirt, he was bleeding heavily. Gasping in horror, Hermoine ran to feel his pulse.

_Please be alive! …. Please!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Welcome to the land of the living."

"Well if this is heaven I want a refund." A soft chuckle came from his side, although he didn't dare try to open his eyes yet. He hadn't been this exhausted in Merlin knows when.

When he did dare, a grimace sent the lights down to a tolerable level, and he could see several Blood-Replenishing potions on the side table of the couch. He tried to remember what had landed him here, but the memory was a bit hazy.

"You know, I never thought you were dumb. Your intelligence I defended over and over again in Hogwarts to the majority of the students. Your dry wit and sarcastic cut leant a philosophical and interesting edge to your lectures. But honestly, Professor Snape. I don't remember anyone doing something that extraordinarily dumb in a long time.

"You didn't have any magic to run diagnostic spells. You didn't have any magic to counteract anything harmful. You had no way to heal yourself. You just weren't thinking! Period.

"How could someone so intelligent do something that incredibly stupid?" Snape just sighed and looked at the ceiling. _They'll be no living with her after this._

"Miss Granger, I'll be willing to make you a deal. You won't keep haranguing me about this incident, and I won't lecture you about all the stupid things your and your little posse of ruffians did."

"What I did or did not do in my insipient youth has no grounding on the following because you are an adult, with lots of training and practice."

He looked at her levelly. "Miss Granger, you're only a year out of Hogwarts. Stop acting like a seasoned Auror."

Hermoine looked pensive for a moment, mid-step in her lecture pacing. "You're right, Professor Snape. It wouldn't do to think of myself as an Auror, because none have them have gone up against Voldemort or tackled the things I have. So I guess you could call me an experienced witch."

She knew she was baiting him, and by the small twitch at the corner of his mouth, as she continued to lecture him about the idiocy he displayed, she calmed a little. The last twenty minutes of her life were a bit tense, and he was closer to death than he had first realized.

Hermoine, albeit her stern lecture in her best Professor McGonagall impression, knew the reason he was led astray. The gold box, simple, small and delicate, looked to be a pretty jewelry box, and nothing more. The slicing hex that came from it packed a mean punch, and Professor Snape wasn't up to snuff just yet. She narrowed her gaze and inspected his reopened body. Small cuts adorned his face, almost like he took a hundred sheets of paper and made tiny little paper cuts all over. _Merlin, he looks like shit._

Under the scrutiny of her gaze, Severus Snape forced himself to stop moving. It's almost as bad as going to Pompfrey. _Ah, but since when has a mediwitch been in such an enticing little package?_

Grimacing from the inner mind struggle, Snape shifted slightly on the couch. Although it was immensely comfortable, acknowledging the chit in front of him was a woman was one thing, but admitting he was attracted – if that – was something completely different.

Hermoine, finally having decided to wind down from her speech, completely oblivious from the fact that although Severus Snape was glaring at her and watching her move, he wasn't paying attention in the least.

She ended up sitting down on the coffee table, making her lap sit at the same height as his reclined body. Studying eachother intently for a few minutes, she silently got up and got new bandages from the mediroom.

Magically turning him over, she reapplied the salve and bandaged him up tightly, as well as putting the finishing touches on healing his knee. As she turned him back over, she noticed how tired he looked and dimmed the lights.

"Since you've decided to make an amazing anti-recovery, you're stuck here for the night. I'm going to read by the table a little while longer, but just let me know if you'd like anything. I'm going to make a pot of tea, would you like a cup?"

After a small shake of his black locks, she took her leave of him. The tea was fragrant and she smiled as through the next chapter of the ancient tome she was studying she could hear quiet half-snores of her professor. _My professor? _Ah well. They only had eachother from now on anyway. Deciding not to examine that possessive streak too closely, she continued on with her reading.

About two hours later, almost finished with her research, Snape started to toss and turn again. Hermoine left it alone until she started hearing the pleading groans and whimpers. As she silently padded to his side, she gently tried to rouse him. Seeing that had no calming effect, actually the gentle shaking made him more frightened, she sat on an arm of the couch and started to stroke his hair.

The whimpering died down, and as his breathing returned to a more normal level, she smiled and turned and watched the flames crackle merrily in the hearth. It was a subdued yet calming feeling, relaxing with the professor. _If only he was this good when he was conscious. _

A small grin broke her serene smile and a small chuckle escaped. She continued to stroke his raven locks until she was startled into falling off the arm of the couch by the sleep ridden but utterly velvet voice. "Miss Granger, what are you doing?"

Blushing scarlet she hastily got up and thought of a lie quickly. "I was just checking to see how the cuts on your scalp have healed, since I couldn't put any salve on them. I couldn't see very well because you were sleeping and I had completely forgotten to check on them earlier. Only when I saw a reference to the book I was reading –"

Snape eyed her narrowly, like he didn't believe a word she was saying but nevertheless interrupted her. "I do remember asking you a simple question, Miss Granger, one that did _not_ involve giving me a three foot essay response. If you care to leave me for the night, maybe I will be able to get a good night's rest without being accosted."

Far too embarrassed to be angry, she murmured her assent and headed to bed. _At least tonight I'll get a good night's sleep_.

Dawn broke bright and early, or at least that's what her enchanted window displayed. She was up at sunrise, and with a merrily steaming pot of tea was coherent and eager as ever to gain more in the pursuit of knowledge. She was happily munching on some toast and jam as the sleep-ridden Severus Snape dragged himself over to the table.

"You look like you just got trampled by a herd of hippogriphs."

A dark look and a strangled sigh of relief was the only response Hermoine Granger got when she passed a cup of steaming Earl Grey and a few slices of toast his way.

When he too, was more awake and aware of his surroundings, his perceptive eyes honed in on what she was researching. "Again on that blasted potion, Miss Granger? Potions Masters have been trying to develop that for centuries, what makes you think a Muggleborn, untrained witch with little to no Potions application and training will be able to solve the puzzle?"

Hermoine didn't even grace the cutting remark with so much as a look upwards; she did continue writing down another note and replied, "That's precisely _why _I will solve the riddle because I have training in both muggle chemistry and magical potions. I will be able to look at the potion with a new light, and in understanding both concepts, I have a better look at the big picture than your snooty Potion Masters do."

He had to give her credit, because what she said did make a lot of sense. But she was still too young and unable to foresee any major problems by this complex of a potion. She was good, but she wasn't that good, _or is she? _Severus Snape took another sip of tea and grabbed the small stack of newly recopied notes she was taking.

Peering at her Arithmancy calculations, she seemed to be dead on with her vibrations and counter vibrations. The only problem seemed to be with the blasted strokes. "Tres volvit vox unus vicus volvit sinistrum" _Well that's no different, three right one quarter left. Well here's what she's thinking…wood yada yada…different materials…_

Hermoine finished up and silently watched him look through her hard work. She noticed something different about his demeanor. When he looked over something new, he got a skeptical furrow and his eyes ticked back and forth over her neat penmanship like a typewriter does to the paper. Watching him unabashedly for a few moments, she decided the strong furrow made him look a lot cuter somehow, she just didn't know why.

He looked at her and shook his head dispassionately. "Miss Granger, everyone knows that the ancient ingredients were made of a meter long willow branch and a cauldron reinforced with lead. They were so fond of the damn stuff that they plastered it over everything, not bothering to care what reacted different –"

His eyes glazed over suddenly and he all but leapt from his chair. Stalking to his rooms, he slammed his door shut only to reappear a few minutes later with a dusty-looking tomb, his expression fierce.

"Miss Granger, what book are you using for your research?"

"Do you mean which book _haven't _I used?"

"Don't get smart, just answer the question."

She pushed the bibliography list towards him and he snorted in reply. "Exactly what I had thought. Be that as it may, some of these books are hard to come by on your list; they are all inherently "wizard" books. You'll find if you wrap this around your large intellect, that some of the "bad muggle" books only have the answers you seek. This basic book on history, and I'm not insulting muggles so don't get huffy, Miss Granger."

She gave him a look, "If you're quite done insulting my large intellect, I assume we are on a cusp of discovery here Professor?"

He nodded sharply, "It's not the pot, because you have it lead lined, and it's not even the spoon, although adding a thin layer of lead might help if we…" Seeing him drift off into a brainstorming session she wanted to know what was different.

"Professor, but what is the secret? What's so different?"

"Miss Granger, when you told me you would solve it because you were muggleborn, I didn't think you would be correct. _But _as it is, you are a hundred percent. Why would the Potions Master's cross-reference with a _muggle _Roman? Have you ever heard of Titus Livius?" Hermoine snorted, "Only the one of the most famous historians of Rome, yes."

Snape smiled, "You know all those books that are missing?" "Uh yeah." "Well I've got one." Hermione's eyes widened. "DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU HAVE AN ORIGINAL TOME OF LIVY?" She shot to her feet. She started to jump up and down excitedly yammering away only to be stopped by a few curt words and the realization that it was only a copy.

Settled down, Severus Snape made quick work of explaining that Livy was a squib, but was treated like a muggle, and integrated some of the daily life of wizardry into the text. There was a small section about rudimentary potion-making, along with illustrations. Spreading the tome out to the particular page, Hermoine immediately spotted what they were missing.

"It wasn't even the strokes then. It's the fact that the pots the ingredients were stored in were lined with lead. Do you think we could just add some lead to the potion? Wait, no that wouldn't make sense, the ingredients has to be infused with the lead, not the potion."

Snape nodded appreciatively. "That's the exact conclusion I came to. It's a wonder no one thought of that before hand."

Hermoine grinned and replied "Well you were right in saying that me being a muggle is important. You never would have thought of it otherwise. You think transfiguring a metal container would be sufficient?"

"I suppose so, it's not like we have the materials here. The question is how long to leave the ingredients in the lead pots, and to track them for maximum effectiveness."

Hermoine sighed and sat down again. "This is more work than before, but at least we have a solid step in the right direction, right?"

Severus Snape arched one finely carved brow. "I believe the only one that agrees to 'we' in this endeavor is you Miss Granger. I want nothing to do with this child's play."

Hermoine mirrored his earlier action and drawled, "Oh yes, I suppose you have a very busy schedule, Professor, with doing nothing, nada, and a whole lot of zilch."

Surprised at her audacity, but amused none the less, a small quirk appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Impertinent chit" he muttered under his breath as he turned to go see what they could transfigure into pots.

As he stepped foot into the lab, a full smile broke out as he heard behind him, clear as day, "Greasy bat, learn to mutter more quietly."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N – attention, ahem I appreciate and am thankful for all of the reviews. However, to date I've gotten 16 story alert notifications and only three people have reviewed the story that has done this. All I'm asking for is for you to please tell me why you're adding me to your favorite story list. :3 I want to have you coming back for more and input is important! (Although this chapter seems really awkward. I promise the next will be better) This is a Seventh book plot spoiler FREE zone! Anyway, since I detest long A/N's, we shall commence with the story. :D

Chapter 6

"I say thirty six, Professor."

"You're wrong, and you're presumptuous to think that you would know better over a Potions Master."

"It's common sense, Snape."

"Magic defies logic, you dunderhead."

"Temper temper."

Snape shook his head and tried not to smile. He was surprised at how comfortable they had become in the two weeks, taking meals together and working all day in the lab. He was surprised at her sheer thirst for knowledge, and how she drank his every word like it was vital to her survival.

He was doubly impressed with her analytical skills and sheer intuition when it came to potions making. She was purposeful, neat, and organized, almost to the point of neurotic. It did make things a lot easier though, and it was a nice change of pace to see a clear neat handwriting on the page instead of his messy scrawl.

At the moment, they were embroiled in a game that had started out of educated guesses against his keen sense of smell. So far, Snape had the pleasure of not having to do any dishes since the game started. _I'm not daft. If the fool girl thinks she can beat a potions master, let her do dishes until the end of time._

To his amusement, her demands were getting wilder by the day, and as she caught on that she was no match for him, she had fun letting her creative side roam free. From wrestling an acromantula, to eating an entire Hagrid-catered meal, the possibilities were endless.

Her eyes sparkled and a grin appeared, "I want a dance with you. A full, entire dance."

Snape raised his brow but didn't say anything except, "Are you ready to do dishes again?"

"Hope springs eternal" was spoken along with another flash of pearly white teeth. "Today our specimen is called the Danae rose."

Final bets were put down on paper, then the ingredient was taken out. Counting the leaves carefully out on the table, it was clear to see that his guess of twenty six was coming to fruitition. As a satisfied smirk came upon his face, so grew one on hers.

"Oh…I'm sorry Professor. I'll let you know when I want to claim that dance."

Severus Snape's face slowly dropped into incredulous sarcasm. "You can't imagine the leaves to be thirty six, Miss Granger. They have to actually be there."

Hermoine Granger's smile dipped into a polite severity that even Severus appreciated. "Well that's where you're wrong, Professor. You see, the Danae Rose has ten scent free leaves that double as seed pods. It's quite ingenious really. Because they are actually embedded in the leaves, any animal that eats the leaves will ingest the seeds.

Ten of the aloe-like leaves were split apart, and the second she gingerly sliced each one open, an innocent-looking leaf would pop up out of the incision. She turned perfectly tutorial as she explained, "This is the Irish strain of the plant, which is definitely rare because it has the red tips on the leaf pod leaves, so they were easy to find. Usually this isn't the case and you have to go through nearly every leaf until you find the seed pods."

_I…lost?_ Severus Snape repeated this in his head a few times, tasting the bitter tones of defeat. It wasn't an emotion or an event that happened often, but when it did, it made him curious in wonder like a child.

Hermoine grinned impishly again, "So about that dance..." Snape had the intelligence to look horrified once again. _Oh god, she's going to make me do the hokey pokey. Or that chicken dance that Albus was so fond of._

Seeing his obvious distress Hermoine laughed and strutted out of the lab, at once being able to mimic his self-assured gait as was custom when he won the game.

"I do not shake my ass that much."

_Why are you staring at her ass? And how would she know to shake it that much if she hadn't been staring at yours?_

"Shut up."

Moodily eating dinner, Severus was coaxed out of his sulk when he explored the workout room again. Cautiously opening the door, the small metallic box looked innocent in its highly decorated glory. Severus, wand at ready, picked the box up after a few minutes and began to examine it in more detail. It looked like an expensive jewelry box, with lots of ornate carvings, runic symbols, and the look of vela enhanced metal work. Other than that, the box seemed completely docile, yet Severus had seen _and felt _the fact that it wasn't normal. Carefully carrying it out, he headed to his rooms for more research.

His eyes were heavy, but a solid but obscure lead seemed to be the answer to this little mystery box. Severus read aloud to himself in a quiet manner.

"_The Cuchulain Fighter is a rare but precious metal box that has a remarkable training ability. Like the heroic Cuchulain, this "personal" enemy becomes the thing it deems you are most vulnerable to. Only when you are ready for the conflict you seek to gain advantage of, will its contents be revealed. These boxes are rare, only one of a hundred and four, made by William Asnatu, also known as William the Capable. These items were used in the Goblin Wars of 1311, 1403, and 1682."_

Severus leaned back and rubbed his eyes. He was still feeling a little sore, but much better than he had in a long while, more likely because of the three straight meals and exercise not in the form of a Crutacius. Stretching to his arms out completely, he then got up to make a snack. As he silently left his bedroom, Severus padded down the now familiar stairs to the kitchen, and made himself a tasty sandwich. As he was perusing more notes of Hermione's that were neatly stacked on the now expanded surface, he placed the box gently on the tabletop.

He noticed the lump that was squished into a ball on the couch, and stared at it. Trying to identify the said shapeless mass, he prodded it with a long ebony finger tip. A loud scream sent Severus scrambling backwards, as it sent Hermoine jumping to her feet.

"Just what the bloody hell –"

She was sharply cut off by an odd clicking then whirring noise coming from the table. All of a sudden, a very solid looking Lucius Malfoy strode over in all his Death Eater glory. Walking slowly but steadily, you could hear the contempt in his voice as he raised his wand towards her heart.

"I will kill you, you filthy mudblood, so that the world will be pure and free of all of your ilk. In the name of the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, I will torture and murder you. _Crucio_."

The pain, well the pain was so intense Hermoine crumpled to the ground, and she couldn't help but be amazed at the sensations that it caused. That pain could be so acute, so exacting, as to make every piece of skin feel like it is in the process of being stabbed. She couldn't hear what happened, but a sharp green light later and the pain abruptly stopped.

Motionless, and panting on the floor, she opened her eyes enough to see the Professor staring at her with an unreadable look on his face. All of a sudden, he started yelling at her and the shock, pain, and sensation was just too much. Hermoine burst into tears and started wailing so loud that Snape couldn't yell over her anymore.

Severus Snape was never good with females, well besides the ones he occasionally perused at Knockturn Alley. Severus Snape was very bad on a normal basis, but a sobbing chit of a female? He was absolutely helpless.

Mustering all the gruffness he could, his words shot out like silken steel. "Hermoine Granger you will stop this nonsense right now. You are a grown woman, not a child of two or three. Act like the adult you try and portray yourself as."

The crying stopped abruptly, and surprised that it had worked, Snape took her hand to help her up. "You need to do a scan on yourself to make sure you're okay. Are you capable of doing such at this point?"

She nodded shakily, and got her wand out. Her magic obviously was shaky, but she managed to check out fine with the scan, well as fine as one could be just after an Unforgivable was cast on their person.

She looked up at him with her doe eyes, at a loss for words and unsure of what to do. She swayed violently, and black dots sprouted before her eyes. She closed her eyes and fought for her center of gravity. Cursing under his breath, Severus used gentle hands that guided her to the couch she had just vacated.

A soft pop of a cork a few minutes later, a smelly potion was delivered to Hermione's spent body. She grimaced at the taste, _would it kill him to ever flavor his shit? _But managed a strained smile as she felt the potion do its job.

"You're staying here tonight, and it looks like I'm going to play your keeper for once, not the other way around." Hermoine opened her now-sleepy eyes and laughed. "Are you bloody stupid? You need ten keepers, and even they wouldn't be able to keep up with the trouble you manage to get yourself into."

Severus looked at her severely for a moment, but she was already fast asleep. _Does she think she can handle the job? Of course she does, and she is doing a fine job. You're almost human now, you snarky bastard._

"Shut up."


End file.
